What is the role of a reverse proxy server in web application architecture?

A reverse proxy server in web application architecture acts as an intermediary between clients and application servers. It accepts incoming requests from users and forwards them to one or more internal servers, hiding their real addresses.

Main functions of a reverse proxy:

• Load balancing: distributes requests among multiple servers to improve performance and fault tolerance.
• Caching: stores frequently requested data, reducing the load on application servers.
• Security: hides the internal network structure, filters malicious requests, and can perform SSL termination.
• Compression and traffic optimization: reduces the amount of data transmitted.

Example: Nginx is often used as a reverse proxy to distribute requests among multiple instances of a web application.